Table



Jan. 19, 1943. H, A, BACKUS 2,308,737

TABLE Filed Jan. 1s, 1942 Patented Jan. 19, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE TABLE v Harry A. Backus, Fernbank, Ohio Application January 13, 1942, Serial No., 426,599

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in tables and other four-legged articles of movable furniture or equipment by providing a series of pivoting devices connecting the top of the table or other article of furniture with the horizontal members or aprons which join the upper ends of the four legs. Its objects are: first, to eliminate the unsteadiness Awhich normally results in Wobbling, Wiggling or shaking of the top of the table or other article of furniture whenever the floor surface is uneven beneath the table or other article; second, to eliminate the necessity of manual adjustments to accommodate the table or other article to the unevenness of a portion of floor surface to which it is moved; third, de spite a rigid 'top to permit and accelerate the natural tendency o! four-legged wooden table or furniture-bases to adjust to uneven ioor contours; fourth, to provide a combination of maxi, mum strength and stability and automatic adjustability to uneven floor surfaces, in tables and other four-legged articles of furniture and equipment; and, fifth, to provide means for the accomplishment of these objects by fixing pivoting devices to existing tables, and other articles as well as to newly constructed tables.

For many years diiiiculties have been encountered in homes, restaurants and in industry because articles of furniture, especially tables, do not set 'steadily upon uneven oor surfaces. However, inthe case of the ordinary wooden table these diiilculties were formerly reduced by the operation of the natural tendency oi these forms, which when built completely of wood had a certain inherent exibility, to adjust to the unevenness of the ordinary door. But these dimculties have been greatly increasedy in recent years bythe practice, widely adopted, of using extremely rigid table tops composed of plastics, or of many thicknesses of wood or a combination of both materials. The rigidity of these tops, when they are fastened securely by the conven tional methods to the four legs and connecting aprons which constitute the base of a table, makes the entire structure so rigid and unyielding that these present day tables cannot adapt themselves to the unevenness of a door surface. vention, these tables wobble, wiggle and shake when in use, upon the ordinary oor, sincefmost floors are suillciently uneven to prevent the rm setting of a table thereon. x

In order to avoid the necessity of inserting Therefore, inthe absence of my in-v ness, spring and rubber cushioned glides and manually adjustable screw type glides have been in use and'were fastened at the bottom of the legs of the table. These glides have had the eiect, when manually adjusted, of increasing the operative length of a table leg, so as to adjust to iloor unevenness. But all these devices require manual adjustment which must be repeated whenever a table is moved.

Attempts have been made to solve this problem, as to tables madei of steel or other metals, by means of the combination of a ilex-ible metal. apron, and objects interposed between the aprons and the table top, but these devices, depending as they do` for such utility as they have, upon the flexibility of the metal aprons, have no use whatever in the case of the ordinary table made completely of wood and having' tops made of wood .and/on plastics. 1n the ordinary table made of wood or plastics, the interposition of stationary means between the 'aprons and the table top so as merely to provide space between the table top and these horizontal aprons or braces underneath the table top -would notpermit sumcient freedom or speed of adjustment, would not furnish the necessary stability, Vand would not result in any practical, workable or useful solution to the problem of constructing, with the modern 4,rigid top, a practical, strong table which willY automatically adjust to the unevenness of oors and set firmly and steadily during and after such adjustment.

i attain these objects by the structures illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a wooden table made for myl pivoting means and having the table top being shown in cross-section.

objects underneath one or morelegs, from time Fig. 3 is an enlarged crossesection'al view taken on. line 3-3 of Fig. 2. l Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modied form of hinge, the base` frame member of the table being shown in fragmental perspective.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 5 -5 of Figji with the ltable top shown thereon in cross-section. L i

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of another modied form of hinge, the base yframe member being shown in fragmental perspective.

Fig. '7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line v'|`I of Fig. 6. the table top being shown thereon in cross section.

,In Figure 1 my invention is illustrated in conjunction with a wooden table 6 which has a lower base portion 1 comprising four vertical legs 8, 9,

Ill, II which are joined together by aprons I2I, |22, |23 and |24 in the usual manner.

The upper surface of each of the aprons is provided with a centrally disposed high point I3 which is in the form of a transverse extending edge portion formed at right angles to the length of said aprons. As shown in the drawing, the high point I3 is'formed by gradually inclining the top edge of the aprons from low points adjacent their connections with the legs to a centrally disposed high point I3. 'I'he same/high point may be provided by forming a small triangularly shaped extension at the central point of a fiat top edge of the aprons. It is contemplated that this high point may be formed on existing tables and other furniture by sawing or cutting the top edge of the aprons as illustrated in the drawing and cutting down the top edgel of the legs to a level with the low points at aprons. The hingescomprise the leaf I6 which g is fastened to the underside of the table top by screws I1 and has spaced ears I8 at its central portion which .extend downwardly and straddle the upwardly extending sleeve portion I9 of the lower leaf 20 of said hinge. A pin 2'I is held in the sleeve I9 and fastened to the ears I8 of the upper leaf to thereby permit pivotal movement between the said leaf and leaf 20. The lower leaf of each hinge (Fig. 2) is fastened to an apron by screws 22 in a position to permit the table top to rest on the high points ofthe base, said leaf having an outwardly extending portion 23 formed at right angles thereto. The upper end of the portion 23 is developed into said sleeve portion I9 in the usual manner. It will therefore be noted that the top of the table rests upon the aprons at their high points and the hinge I5 prev vents relative transverse motion of the top relaleg 9, in this example, is diagonally opposed to said ilrst mentioned leg II and lis connected to the aprons I2I and |22 which are fastened to the ends of the aprons |24 and |23', respectively. at their mutual leg connections. Said table leg 9 therefore moves upwardly inthe same direction as the first leg II because the aprons |2'I and |22 are centrally pivoted and move downwardly at their ends which are connected to the legs 8 and III. when a leg or legs are moved from the supporting plane of said legs to compensate for unevenness in the resting surface therefor, diagonal legs move in a common direction opposed to the direction of the other two diagonally disposed legs and that the connecting aprons for the legs are all subjected to a torsional stress which produces a slightly twisting motion at the ends to permit verticahmovement of the legs and a tilting action of the aprons on theircentral high points. The table top will therefore pivot upon the material of the aprons and on the hinges and will also be retained in pivoting position by means of the hinges I5, said hinges being so positioned and so constructed as to permit freedm of pivotal movement between the table top and the base.

I also contemplate, in the alternative, the use of a hinge fastened between the table top I4 'and the table base 6 in the position of hinges I5. 'Ifo use this hinge, the top edge of each base apron is formed perfectly fiat instead of being provided with a high point I3, as shown in Fig. 1. In Figs.

`4 and 5 there is illustrated one form of said hinge inner edge of the upper hinge is turned downtive to the base of the table to prevent said top from sliding from said table base. The hinge also permits free pivotal action of the base aprons upon their high points- I3 relative to the table top in the vertical plane of the respective aprons or, kin other words, each apron pivots relative to the top on a hinge which has an elongated pivot aprons and at the same time the aprons are tilted on their central pivots I3 relative to the i table top so that the adjacent ends of said aprons and the leg II move closer to said top and theother ends of the aprons and their connected legs 8 and I0 move away from said top. The di- 'agonal legs 8 and I0, adjacent said upwardlymo`ving leg II therefor, move together in the opposite vertical direction from said leg II, i. e., in a downwardly direction. The remaining tab'le said top edge.

wardly at right angles to the body of the leaf to form an ear/21. The lower leaf 28 is fastened centrally to the flat upper edge of the base apron by means of screws 29, the center part thereof 'being provided with a transversely disposed sleeve Y portion 39 which is engaged and straddled by the ears 26- and l2I of the upper leaf. A pivot pin 3| has its-"bearing in the sleeve 30 and its ends fastened totheears 26 and 21 to complete the hinge structure. The upper leaf 25 is fastened to the underside of the table by running screws 33 through the holes 32. The inner surface (Fig. 4) of the base apron |22 is illustrated in fullelevation and the exterior surface of the frame is not shown. The spaced,l parallel extensions on the upper U-shaped leaf 25 of the hinge extend to. wards the centerof the table top and the ear 2E can be seen from the exterior of the table and conceals the hinge structure.

A modified form of the hinge shown in Figs. il and 5 is shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and .comprises acept that the screw holes 35 are longitudinally` formed in the leaf instead of transversely disposed as in the hinge of Fig. 4. The spaced ears 35 and 31 straddle the top of the apron |22 anda metal bearing sleeve 38 is driven. through the material of the apron at the point where the ears engage A pin 39 has its bearing in the sleeve and is fastened to the ears 35 and 31 to provide a pivot between the table top I4 and the -apron |22.

It will. therefore be' seen that..

whatisiaimedis: 1. In a movable article of furniture the combination of a rectangular base comprising aprons joined at their ends and disposed with their width dimensions in vertical planes, legs depending vertically from the intersections of the frame members, arigid, flat top supported by the base, said top being mounted on said basey by pivots located centrally upon each apron, said pivots being elongated and disposed horizontally and at right angles to the lengthwise dimension of the aprons.

2. In a movable article of furniture the comdepending vertically from the intersections of bination of a rectangular base comprising a plu- L rality of relatively inflexible aprons joined at their ends and disposed with their width dimensions in vertical planes, legs depending vertically from the intersections of the frame members, a fiat, rigid top supported by the base, said top being mounted on said base by pivots located centrally upon each apron, said pivots being elongated and disposed horizontally and at right angles to the lengthwise dimension of the aprons.

3. In a movable article of furniture the combinationof a rectangular base comprising a plurality of relatively inexible aprons joined at their ends and disposed with their width dimensions in vertical planes, legs depending vertically from the intersections of the aprons, a at, rigid top on the base, and hinges interposed between said top and the apronsand disposed centrally of the top edge of said aprons, each hinge having a horizontal pivot pin positioned at right angles to the lengthwise dimension of the apron upon which' it is positioned. r;

4. In a movable article of furniture the combination of a rectangular base comprising aprons joined at their ends and disposed with their width dimensions in vertical planes, legs depending vertically from the intersections of Vthe aprons, the top edge of each apron being devel-l oped into a centrally located high portion in the form of a horizontal edge disposed at right angles to the llengthwise dimension of each apron, la flat top resting upon the said high portions, and a Vhinge adjacent each high portion and having one leaf thereof fastened to the top and the other leaf thereof fastened to the apron, the pivot pin for said hinge leaves having its 'axis disposed in alignment with the high portions-on the aprons.

5.J`In a movable article of furniture the c'ombination of a rectangular base comprising a pluthe aprons, a flat top spaced from and supported by the base, and a hinge interposed between said top and the aprons and disposed centrally of each apron, each hinge having a horizontal pivot pin positioned at right angles to the lengthy of the apron on which it is positioned.

7. In a movable 'article of Afurniture the combination of a rectangular'base having aprons joined at their ends and disposed with their Width dimensions in vertical planes, and legs depending vertically from the intersections of the aprons, a fiat top spaced from and supported by the base, and a hinge interposed between said top and the aprons and disposed centrally of each apron, said hinge comprising a U-shaped -upper leaf, ears depending from the edges of the intermediate portion of said leaf, an elongated lower leaf fastened to the upper edgeV of the apron and having a central bearing hole coextensive with-the width of the top dge and extending horizontally and at right angles vto the lengthwise direction of said apron, said ears being adapted to straddlel the bearing hole, and a pin in the hole and fastened at each end to one of the ears, said extended portion on each rality of relatively inflexible aprons joined at their ends and disposed with their widthdimensions on vertical planes, legs depending vertically from the intersections of the aprons, the top edge of each 'apronbeing developed into a centrally located high portion in the form of a horizontal edge disposed at right angles to the lengthwise side of the lower leaf and the leg portions of the upper leaf having screw holes therein for fastening each leaf to the base and the top respectively.

8. In a movable article oi' furniture the combination of a rectangular Abase having aprons,

joined at their ends and disposed with their width dimensions in vertical planes, and legs depending vertically from the intersections of the aprons, avffiat top spaced from and supported by tending horizontally and at right angles to the.

the ears. HARRY A. BACKUS.- 

